Propagation of Electromagnetic Waves in a Weakly Ionized Warm Magneto-plasma

Abstract

Modified wave equations for a weakly ionized warm magnetoplasma are obtained by linearizing Maxwell's equations with the help of the equation of state and the conservation equations for mass, momentum, and energy. The expressions derived for the refractive index for oblique and normal wave propagation from solutions of the equation of motion and from the modified wave equations are found to be equivalent. The results are used to study wave propagation in the ionosphere and the magnetosphere.